ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. net — after costs
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. cap — of ice
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. net — in sport
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — a lid
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. saw — the tool
  18. net — for catching
  19. wind — moving air
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. wind — moving air
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pass — a permit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com